There was pandemonium at Akenzua Secondary school and Ihogbe College, both in Benin, the Edo State capital when suspected cultists invaded the schools and injured two students.

The two secondary schools that were invaded by thugs who wielded guns, cutlass and knives, are adjacent to each other and are located along ICE Road off Wire Road.

Panicky teachers and students ran for safety when the cultists stumbled into the school, shooting sporadically and violently attack the students.

Going by an eyewitness account, the cultists reportedly came for their target in the area but some hot-headed students who were said to be members of junior rival cult group hauled stones at them.

In anger, the cultists stormed the school and started inflicted deep injuries on unlucky students in revenge.

One of the students was said to have been seriously injured was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Determined to maintain peace, armed policemen were promptly deployed to the schools and were seen patrolling the neighbourhood.

Two of the suspected attackers who were arrested by the police wailed as they were led away, insisting that they were innocent.

A resident in the area said activities of cult-related attacks have been on the rise in recent times.

Edo State Commissioner for Education, Mr, Emmanuel Agbaje, said no student was killed in the attack.

He said students of both schools have always been engaging in a fight.

Agbaje said security would be beefed up in the area and that plans were on to merge both schools as one.

The Commissioner assured that the two schools will not be shut down due to the attack.

The Edo State Police spokesman, Mr Chidi Nwanbuzor said that the fight was between two different cult groups, noting that two students sustained deep machete cuts by the cultists.

Nwanbuzor said: “It was reported that one of the cultists was beaten by a student of Akenzua secondary school during a fight and as a result, members of his cult invaded the school (Akenzua) with cutlasses and started fighting the school.”

•Sourced from a Tribune report

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